Spurs will ‘go close’ in title race but I don’t regret leaving, says Woodgate

Former Tottenham defender
Jonathan Woodgate expects his old club to mount a serious title challenge but is not dwelling on what might have been.

Toe-to-toe: Woodgate competes with Adebayor (Picture: AP)

Woodgate was released by the Londoners in the summer after three and a half years at White Hart Lane.

The club opted not to retain the injury-hit 31-year-old because of the cost of insuring him, and he instead chose to continue his career with Stoke.

âThereâs no animosity between me and anyone at Spurs,â said Woodgate, who shone against his old team-mates as Stoke beat Spurs 2-1 on Sunday.

âTheyâre a great side and I wish them all the luck in the world. I think theyâll go close to winning the league, if not this year, then next year.

âI donât want to show anyone anything – Iâll do it with my performances.

âI donât need to show anyone I can still play. I get on with my game and I know Harry Redknapp believes in me, so no problem. I didnât want to leave and he didnât want me to either. But thatâs life – youâve got to get on with it. You move on.â

Two goals from Matthew Etherington helped Stoke to victory, but Spurs boss Redknapp was furious with referee Chris Foy after Stokeâs Ryan Shawcrossâ handled the ball on the line, and an effort from Emmanuel Adebayor was wrongly disallowed for offside.

Yet, despite Spursâ immense misfortune, Woodgate feels that they will have to consider it a chance missed.

âMaybe to come here and get a result, maybe grind out a 2-2, even when they go down to 10 men,â said Woodgate, when asked what their missing ingredient could be.

âBut I think Spurs are an unbelievable team – different class – and theyâll go very close to the title.

âThe whole team has pace and itâs frightening for an opposing team when you know everyoneâs quick.â